Hour Or The Day
by J. Lynn
Summary: For no one knows the hour or the day... Chapter Five: Of Spies and Godfathers...
1. There's Always Time For Tea...

**Hour or the Day  
J. Lynn (j.lynn@email.com)**  
  
Dedication & Inspiration: My little sister, who made me read my first yaoi story. R. J. Anderson (who may or may not appreciate being on the list) and excellent writer and the RUSS-L list mom, where I first heard of Schnoogle.com. The Double Cross RPG folks, whose excellent stories inspired me with tea and many slash relationships. Barb, who has had me hooked on her 'Psycic Serpent' series for so long it's not funny. And to Telanu and JayKae, whose excellent stories made me a Harry/Snape fan in the first place.   
  
  
Harry Potter, boy who lived turned man who taught, glared at the window. Whether the fault lay with the cool autumn day outside or with the window itself, which was tempting him with said cool autumn day, was uncertain. What was certain, was that he did NOT want to spend the day grading papers.   
  
Harry sighed and glanced at his calendar. Damn it. Not even one flying lesson to use as an excuse.   
  
Rededicating himself to his work, he bent forward and began to mark the third year's essays on grindywillows.   
  
* * * * * *   
  
There were certain things Severus Snape did not enjoy. Working as a spy, teaching Weasley twins, Madame Minister's Mint Tea... And he most definitely did not enjoy spending his time in the teachers lounge fiddling with bits of machinery. All he wanted was one simple cup of coffee... Damn it!!   
  
"Let me look."   
  
Severus glared up at the person who dared to insinuate that he was unable to fix a simple coffee machine. "And what makes you think you'd have any better luck fixing it than I have?" He sneered.   
  
Harry held his hands in an open gesture of peace. "Just the dubious advantage of living as a muggle nearly half my life."   
  
Snape snorted, and turned back --- to the smug looking, half disassembled machine. Sighing he moved out of the way to let the cocky twerp look.   
  
Damn Dumbeldore anyway. It was all his fault for buying a muggle coffee maker and attempting to make it run on a magical powersource. Couldn't the man do things the normal way just once?   
  
Snape sat and closed his eyes while Harry fiddled with wires and gears. To everyone's, and occasionally his own, considerable consternation the two of them had declared an unofficial truce. True, they traded insults and semi-snide remarks when they were together, but the extreme irritation and occasional bouts of loathing that used to come into evidence whenever they were on the same floor disappeared by the time Harry had begun teaching.   
  
While Voldemort had yet to be defeated, he had been seriously crippled during the last few years. Due largely to the work of Harry and Dumbeldore in heading up a massive resistance, most of Voldemort's inner circle had been captured and executed, and many of the lower ranking death eaters were now behind bars. There was relative peace, though all who had been involved remained on their guard.   
  
And through the last several years he and Harry had fought together, bled together, and eventually come to respect one another. Snape entertained no illusions, he was still a snarky old bastard, and Harry was still the impudent brat with a tendency of rule-breaking. There was more to them than that of course, but the basics still remained the same. But they had come to be... nothing as trite as friends, but comrades. Two men who sat around and drank a cup of coffee or tea together every once in a while, trading the occasional insult, but overall enjoying each other's company.   
  
Dear God... he didn't even want to think about what they sounded like...   
  
He was roused from his contemplative thoughts by a small explosion in the general direction of the coffee maker.   
  
Harry stood there, glaring at the now smoking coffee maker, while sucking on his thumb in a manner reminiscent of a two-year-old.   
  
Severus did the first Snape-y thing that came to mind. He snorted. Loudly.   
  
Harry glared at the amused man, then reluctantly grinned. Glancing out the window for what seemed to be the hundredth time that day he seemed to come to a decision. Giving Snape a faux sultry look, Harry purred, "Let's get out of here."   
  
Snape restrained himself from snorting again, and, gathering his composure, said "And what do you propose we do?"   
  
Harry, apparently rather wired despite his lack of having recently had coffee, tea, sugar, or other legal-addictive-stimulants, began bouncing on his toes. "Let's go down to Hogsmede. I've been dying to get out all day."   
  
Severus raised his eyebrow. "And what about work? Dying or not, I'm sure that our vaulted DADA professor has some work left to do."   
  
"I swear, all I have left are the first years essays on the development of hexes... Besides, you can get coffee..." Harry wheedled.   
  
Severus sighed and allowed himself to be dragged out of the castle and in the direction of Hogsmede.   
  
* * * * * * *   
  
_There are certain things that should always be savored, and a first cup of tea is definitely one of them._ Harry mused as he sipped his cup of Earl Grey tea. He glanced over at Snape, who seemed to feel the same way about his coffee. Harry wrinkled his nose. Coffee was just fine as far as drinks went, but he would never understand how people could act like it was the be-all-and-end-all of drinks... Now tea on the other hand....   
  
Harry smirked as he remembered their trip to the village. Severus had practically pushed him out of the castle once Harry had mentioned coffee. He nearly chuckled aloud at Snape's near rapturous expression as he sipped his coffee.   
  
Eyes snapping open, Snape glared at his former student. "Like you're any better with that tea of yours."   
  
Harry had the good grace to flush. It was true, one morning during a particularly stressful period in his seventh year he had woken up *needing* tea. He'd begun carrying round tea bags in his robe pockets. Earl Grey, chamomile, raspberry, all kinds of mint, iced or hot they all had their own use, whether it was to wake him up, put him to sleep, help him concentrate, or just get wired. During the height of the war he had taken to chewing the contents of the tea bag dry if no hot water was at hand. Hermione, in consideration had charmed and shrunk vast amounts of water in small bags she called astro-wizard cups. It had become standard procedure for Harry or whoever was going with him on a mission to carry at least a dozen of the self-heating packets. When the smell of tea had woken Harry after three days of unconsciousness, Dumbeldore had begun to worry about the situation. He, Hermionie, McGonogal, Professor Sprout, and even Snape had tried to find a reason for his reactions, but none had been forthcoming. Though it had been decided that it wasn't a real problem, everyone had been instructed not to mention this quirk to others. After all, it wouldn't do to have it get out that The Boy Who Lived would go to extreme measures all for the love of tea.   
  
"So" Snape drawled, "How are your friends doing? I trust that Mr. & Mrs. Ronald Eustace Weasley are still in the throes of marital bliss?"   
  
Ron and Hermionie had been married a few months before, to the surprise of absolutely no one.   
  
"You know she'd kill you for not allowing her a name of her own," Harry chided, hiding a smirk. "And Ron'd kill you for mentioning his middle name."   
  
"Your point being?"   
  
Firmly repressing the urge to snicker and encourage Severus's ... well Severus-ness, Harry continued with a rather malicious grin. "Well, this should thrill you. Let's put it this way, in about eleven years you should be teaching more Weasleys."   
  
Severus groaned and buried his head in his hands, "Not more W-" He raised his head abruptly. "No. No. No. Please tell me you did not say Weasleys as in plural."   
  
Harry did his best to keep his face straight as he delivered the news to a stricken looking Snape. Not quite being able to manage it, he settled for a rather amused looking smug. "That's right, Weasleys. As in three."   
  
A look of pure dread flashed across his face and stayed there for nearly a full minute, before he crumpled into near hysterical laughter.   
  
Harry, thrown by the fact that the news of Weasley triplets seemed to have sent his companion over the edge, gave Snape an alarmed look.   
  
When the laughter had slowed to mere spurts, Severus managed to gasp out a reason. "You know, I don't know who to feel more sorry for, me, or the mother to be in -ha, ha- six -ha, ha- months." The explanation finished Severus began chuckling anew.   
  
Harry remained puzzled for a moment, before a vision of Hermionie Granger-Weasley, eight months pregnant, looking ready to burst because of three small children inside her, scolding Ron about Hogwarts apparation or any other subject, dawned on him. Chuckling a bit himself he held up his hand and gestured to the waitress for more tea.   
  
* * * * * * * *   
  
To Be Continued...   
  



	2. Oh, Come On Sevvy...

**Hour or the Day  
Chapter Two : Oh Come On Sevvy.....  
J. Lynn (j.lynn@email.com)**  
  
  
  
"So Severus, finished torturing students for the day?"   
  
Snape looked up to see Harry Potter leaning against the wall in that infuriating way only the most self assured people can pull off.   
  
"I might be. What do you have in mind?"   
  
Harry ambled across the room and perched himself on the desk. "I think we should celebrate."   
  
Snape leaned back, intrigued to say the least. Going out for tea aside, Harry hadn't been in the mood to do much since their last resistance meeting. The death of Justin Finch-Fletchley had upset him more than he liked to let on, and increased movements of the remaining Death Eaters worried him. Something had obviously happened. Something big. "What's going on?"   
  
Harry smiled, the first smile that had reached his eyes for a while. "Draco's shown up at Herm's," he said softly.   
  
Draco had chosen early on to follow in Snape's footsteps as a spy for the resistance. And as Voldemort had come close to the truth it had been arranged that Malfoy would announce Snape's traitorous actions, along with carefully planted evidence, giving Snape a (rather stressful, but good nonetheless) reason to avoid seeing Voldemort and his followers. This had the added bonus of placing Draco among the most trusted of the inner circle.   
  
In an attempt to safeguard Draco, all communication had been cut off, and other than the occasional message, no one had seen or heard from him in nearly a year. Harry had been especially worried; he and Draco had struck up a friendship in their fifth year, which they had kept secret until a date was set for Draco's initiation. Harry had gathered the small group which made up the inner circle of the resistance and Draco had announced his plans, asking for their help and trust.   
  
Severus valued the young man greatly, but while he possessed a rather uncle-ish role in Draco's life, Harry was his brother in spirit. The two young men respected each other, and cared for the other greatly, and Snape knew the uncertainty of the situation had weighed on Harry.   
  
"Is he alright? Does anyone suspect anything?" Severus asked the two most pressing questions first.   
  
Harry, relief evident on his face, replied. "Herm said he's alright, and his cover's fine. Seems he wanted a day or two to come up for air."   
  
"Does he have anything new to report?"   
  
"We'll head up by train tomorrow and find out." Harry replied, the anxiousness to be off evident. Anti-apparition fields were still in place in Hogwarts, and were extended out to cover the countryside for miles around following Voldemort's return. Shaking himself, Harry grinned, "Anyhow, I want to get out, let's go to Three Broonsticks."   
  
Snape looked at the stack of papers Harry was currently perched upon, and with a denial forming on his lips looked up at Harry. Harry, who was sitting there, looking happy and carefree for the first time in a long time. Harry, whose eyes were sparkling, and whose smile once again shone from his face. Harry, who was bright and vibrant and alive, and just to damned hard to say no to.   
  
Aww, fuck it.   
  
* * * * * * *   
  
"... And so there he was, pissant drunk, serenading -off key I might add- Hermionie's seventy year old neighbor with 'Tiny Chimney Sweep'."   
  
They were both more than a little tipsy themselves, which always had been a good atmosphere for telling 'Ron stories'. Severus silently resolved to buy the man something quite nice someday, even with the cursed triplets he deserved it. His and Hermionie's helter-skelter courtship alone had kept himself and Harry in stitches for more nights than he could count over the last few years.   
  
It was nearly morning when they stumbled into the castle, attempting to be quiet as they made their way towards Severus's corner of the dungeon.   
  
"You want mouthwash too, or just the hangover-be-gone potion?" Severus asked as he attempted to concentrate on finding the right bottle.   
  
Harry made a face, "Just the hangover. To be quite honest, I have no idea how that mouthwash of yours even works, it tastes bad enough to be hangover inducing in and of itself."   
  
Severus harrumphed. He knew how badly it tasted, but it worked, and there was no reason to go insulting his creation. He snatched the hangover potion from Harry's hand. "Well if you feel that way about it, maybe I shouldn't give you any of my nasty potions."   
  
Harry lunged for the potion, without his usual skill, and narrowly missed falling flat on his face as Severus neatly sidestepped him.   
  
"Ahh, ahh, ahh," Severus chided. "Not until you apologize."   
  
Harry, feeling rather contrary in a good-natured way, lunged again, tackling the potions master, but unable to get his hands on the bottle. "I certainly won't. It tastes terrible and you know it."   
  
"Be that as it may," Severus smirked, leaning backwards as the slightly shorter Harry stood on his toes in attempt to reach the elusive bottle, "You shan't have it unless you apologize."   
  
"You want a bet," Harry asked, in between jumps.   
  
"Oh, give up boy, you haven't got a chance," Snape drawled teasingly.   
  
Harry, with quite enough drinks in him to make him rather reckless, decided to throw Snape off guard... And he did.   
  
The kiss began fast and furious, but quickly slowed into something softer, and more vulnerable. Severus lowered his arms and placed one hand on Harry's cheek, and the other at his waist. Just as the kiss started to become something deeper, Harry seemed to come back to himself, and quickly stepped back.   
  
The two men starred at one another, breathing deeply. Confusion, fear, arousal and something rather indefinable thick in the air.   
  
Harry closed his eyes for a moment, then, with an air of mischief that could not quite cover the panic, he stepped forward and snatched the bottle from Snape's numb hand. "Told you I'd get it," he quipped before turning serious. "Goodnight Severus," he whispered before slipping from the room.   
  
A low voice spoke after a moment.   
  
"Goodnight Harry"   
  
* * * * * * *   
  



	3. Threats Made and Hostages Taken

**Hour or the Day  
Chapter Three : Threats Made and Hostages Taken  
J. Lynn (j.lynn@email.com)**  
  
  
After a few hours of restless sleep Harry made his way to the Great Hall for tea, and an early breakfast.   
  
Looking around he saw that few people had yet reached the hall. Just a couple Huffelpuffs, a small group of Ravenclaws... and Snape.   
  
Steeling his nerves, he made his way to the teachers' table and seated himself in his usual place beside Severus.   
  
Severus, apparently having made the same resolution to ignore what had happened a few hours before, simply looked up and nodded.   
  
"Good morning," Harry poured cream into his tea, before remembering he had chosen to have raspberry.   
  
"Mhmm," Snape mumbled before swallowing his kipper. "When do we leave?"   
  
Harry, deciding his stomach felt a bit off this morning, shoved his plate away before settling back with his tea. "The morning train leaves at nine, I'll meet you at the usual place in an hour."   
  
Severus nodded once again before rising to leave the table, heading towards the dungeons.   
  
Harry watched him go, before returning to his milky tea.   
  
* * * * * * *   
  
Forty-five minutes after forcing himself to finish his tea and a piece of toast, Harry, with knapsack charmed to the size of his hand and his invisibility cloak in his pocket, made his way towards Hagrid's hut.   
  
While Hagrid had left Hogwarts three years ago to act as a permanent ambassador to the giants, his hut had remained empty. The current grounds keeper preferred to stay in the castle, and there was no real need to have someone out there to keep the students away anymore. Hagrid was gone, and the forest knew it. It had grown, if possible, less docile without its master. Hagrid traveled back once or twice a year to take care of some of the larger problems, but still students were no longer willing to venture into it.   
  
Moving behind the hut, near where Buckbeak had been penned many years ago, Harry settled down against the wall to wait.   
  
A few minutes later, Snape emerged from behind a nearby tree. A passageway from the dungeons had been placed there by Dumbeldore, nearly two decades before, when a very young Severus Snape had first become a spy for the light.   
  
Harry stood and pulled out the invisibility cloak. After waiting a moment for Severus to pull the cloak on, the two of them walked down the road in silence.   
  
* * * * * *   
  
Harry leaned back feeling, if not seeing, Severus' form beside him. After waiting for the train to pull out of the station, Harry rose to seal the compartment. Turning round he saw Severus' shape emerge from the cloak.   
  
"Well, looks like Hermionie's charms still work," Harry remarked, as he sat back down.   
  
"Yes, though we ought to have her refresh them soon."   
  
As the battle against Voldemort had progressed it became more and more necessary to move about unnoticed. Hermionie began working on charms to make things, and even people undetectable. One of the first objects to be enspelled was Harry's invisibility cloak, which made it possible for one to sneak through even the best security charms.   
  
This tool had come in quite handy for sneaking Severus out of Hogwarts. Buying a train ticket would be about as secretive as climbing the astronomy tower and announcing through a megaphone that he was now fair game for Death Eaters and vindictive former students.   
  
Harry settled back in his seat once again, and appeared ready to fall asleep before Severus decided to vocalize his pointed, but obviously ineffective, glare.   
  
"Are you planning on doing your part or not?" He demanded.   
  
Harry, without opening his eyes, replied, "I thought being a capable, fully trained wizard, you'd be able to disguise yourself." Pausing for a jaw-breaking yawn, he snuggled further into his chair. "Besides, you can't stand being charmed."   
  
Severus glared at his companion, who was quite obviously determined to be difficult.   
  
"You know perfectly well that I always come out looking lopsided when I do it," at this Harry smirked, ruining the sleeping ruse once and for all. Severus decided to play his trump card. "Harry James Potter, if you do not perform your assigned duties I shall be forced to do something drastic."   
  
Harry opened one eye, seeing Snape with his wand pointed in a very threatening manner at a poor defenseless bag of imported oolong tea.   
  
"You wouldn't."   
  
Severus merely raised one eyebrow. The 'just how sure about that are you' statement written clearly across his face.   
  
Harry, compelled to save the innocent tea, sat up abruptly and began searching for his wand.   
  
Rolling his eyes, Severus waited for Harry to retrieve his wand, and get to work before releasing the tea.   
  
After he had finished, Harry clutched the bag and glared at the old and rather eccentric man sitting across from him.   
  
"Do you have any idea how long it took me to find this?" He demanded, cradling the traumatized bag. "Not only is it organic, it's the only brand that's processed properly. I had to ordered it specially from 'Mint Leaves, Mugroot and Bamboo'."   
  
Harry shot a furious glare at the totally unmoved Severus who simply smirked as he settled in to read his paper.   
  
To Be Continued...  
  



	4. A Short Little Scene For Tidmag & Co.

**Hour or the Day  
Chapter Four : A Short Little Scene For Tidmag & Co.  
J. Lynn (j.lynn@email.com)**  
  
  
They arrived in London mid-afternoon, and after crossing and re-crossing the town, finally arrived at the Granger-Weasley home in time for dinner.   
  
"Harry!" Hermionie threw her arms around the rather bedraggled young man, before turning to do the same to 'Uncle Albert'.   
  
"I don't care how much I resemble that Einstein fellow in this get up, I'd appreciate it if you would find some other alias." Severus grumbled once the door closed.   
  
Hermionie gave him a fond grin before looking them both over sternly. "Any problems getting here?"   
  
Harry grinned, "Other than the tea terrorist over there, I didn't see anyone twice all day."   
  
Hermionie rolled her eyes and let him slip past her heading towards the living room. Turning back to Severus she once again became serious. "How's he been?"   
  
"For the last month, he's hardly slept, or eaten, worry and depression hiding just under the surface. He's tried to cover up with attempts at cuteness, manic energy, and enough tea to drown a small country. Although news of Draco has helped," Severus concluded.   
  
Hermionie sighed, casting a worried glance in the direction of the dining room "In other words, life as usual."   
  
Severus smiled dryly, "You could put it that way." Reaching out, he caught her shoulder before she could turn away. "And how are you doing?"   
  
She smiled gently, but there was a worried look in her eyes. "Fine so far, right now I'm just trying to live through the morning sickness."   
  
"You'll tell me about it later," Severus said, and Hermionie nodded.   
  
"If you weren't such an oily bastard, I'd think you were trying to steal my wife," Ron Weasley exclaimed as he came towards them.   
  
"And since when did being oily have any effect on wife stealing," Severus drawled out.   
  
"Ronald Weasley," Hermionie scolded, "You will be polite or you will be reading me 'Hogwarts, A History' everynight for a month. Now apologize."   
  
Ron grinned and held out his hand, "Sorry, no offense meant."   
  
Severus took his hand, "None taken."   
  
"Right then," Ron wrapped an arm around his wife. "I just came out to call you two in to dinner. Shall we?"   
  
Turning, the three made their way towards the dining room.   
  
To Be Continued  
  



	5. A Bonus Scene

**Hour or the Day  
Chapter Five : A Bonus Scene  
J. Lynn (j.lynn@email.com)**  
  
I felt a bit guilty for the last chapter being so short, so I thought I'd give you all an extra scene.   
  
  
It had been decided a long time before that, except in cases of extreme emergency, all war talk should be saved for after dinner. It was a policy that had been insisted upon by Molly Weasley back during Voldemort's first rise, and had been re-instituted with his second. Therefore, thanks to Mrs. Weasley, a pleasant meal was had by the six conspirators. The heaviest moment being when Hermione brought out a tofu cheesecake.   
  
"Do you have any idea how impossible it is to get a decent drink when you spend your time hanging around with a bunch of death eaters?" Draco sighed as he stretched out on his hammock.   
  
"Well you probably shouldn't have decided you only liked muggle drinks when you knew you'd eventually take up with them," Harry remarked sardonically before collapsing beside Draco and elbowing him for more room.   
  
They had moved into the aptly titled 'War Room'. Maps and strategy boards dominated most the space, but there were beds, comfortable chairs and the odd hammock scattered about, ready for long nights of planning, pacing and worrying. The war room actually existed somewhere under the Devonshire countryside, and was only accessible by portkeys specially coded to members of the resistance. There were actually three bases scattered around the country, the other two included a greenhouse/workshop for experimental research and a safe house where victims could be taken. Each section could be sealed from all access in case of an assault.   
  
"If you two are quite finished yipping at each other like a couple of overgrown puppies, we should be getting down to business." Ginny sniffed primly before settling herself on a beanbag.   
  
"Why I'd think you of all people wouldn't mind us acting like overgrown puppies," Draco teased. "After all you are-"   
  
"Gin's right, we should be getting down to business." Ron broke in; hoping to cut short the conversation before it went any further.   
  
"What's the matter Weasley?" Draco's drawl was still in fine form. "Still can't handle the idea of your sister shagging your best friend's godfather?"   
  
"Nobody's shagging anyone," Ginny announced primly, saving the red-faced Ron from answering.   
  
Draco smirked, "Why not? Let me guess, he's in the doghouse?"   
  
Harry perked up "What's he done now?" he mock growled. "Do I need to have a talk with him?"   
  
"Did he forget to wipe his paws before coming in the house?"   
  
"Terrorize your cat?"   
  
"Drag the clean laundry out over the lawn?"   
  
"Get picked up by the pound?"   
  
"Did you finally have him into the vet to have him fixed?"   
  
"Or did-"   
  
"If you must know he pulled a bit of a prank on me, and I haven't forgiven him yet." Ginny cut in.   
  
"And what will he have to do to get back in your good graces?" Hermione asked.   
  
"Or to phrase it another way, how bad of a prank was it?" Draco threw out curiously.   
  
"At this point he'll either have to propose, or take me on a cruise if he wants to get off the couch." Ginny smirked, "It's either that or take up with Moony."   
  
"I always forget just how juvenile you lot are," Severus called out from his chair, which was situated next to Harry and Draco's Hammock. "Although, let me say Miss Weasley, it is refreshing to see someone keep Black in his place. If you two do ever get engaged let me know, I know a place that sells first rate leashes."   
  
"If we ever do I may take you up on it."   
  
After the laughter died down Harry launched into business. "Speaking of my godfather, Ginny, do you have their latest reports?"   
  
* * * * * *   
  
To Be Continued...  
  



End file.
